Other cleansing techniques

The shorter version or "Laghoo" may sometimes be done daily under expert guidance. For general well being once a week is sufficient.

Poorna Shankaprakshalana is a very deeply cleansing and strong practice for the body. It is also quite a long and psychologically challenging event. It is therefore advised that it be performed no more than twice a year, except under exceptional circumstances, and according to close and qualified guidance. Normally the times chosen for this are at the change of the seasons. At the end of winter, it is good to strip off the cold season's accumulation of intestinal mucus and to give the body a "spring clean". At the end of summer is also a good time to clean out in preparation for the coming colder weather, so that the body can regulate its heart and "hibernate" more efficiently. Shankaprakshalana is a very strong and effective practice. It's like stripping down a whole motor car, scrubbing and cleaning every nook and cranny with a toothbrush and then blowing out the small valves and openings, putting it back together, resting for a while till things settle, and then initially, driving carefully to "run in". But if you do that too often, the engine just becomes "over serviced" and worn out.

Great care must be taken in choosing a day for the event which is not too cold and not too hot, nor in fact one which has changeable weather, since the newly cleaned system is susceptible to chill and infection for the first 24 - 48 hours.

The best time to commence is soon after sunrise, when the air is fresh and clean, and the mind and body are relaxed. You also want to be well-finished before the middle of the day, so as to have a nice restful afternoon before an early dinner and an early bedtime on that first night afterwards.